Despite the bollocks written on this promo LP’s sleeve, and despite being compiled by a representative of the Forces of Darkness (Radio 1) this is a worthy compilation….
Mary Ann Hobbs
Despite the bollocks written on this promo LP’s sleeve, and despite being compiled by a representative of the Forces of Darkness (Radio 1) this is a worthy compilation; as it is, according to the aforementioned notes, ‘not afraid’ to mix up dubstep techno and grime techno and electronica. (Actually, while I’ve got a moment, why can’t these kind of things be mixed up normally? What are they anyway? Does anyone interested in just listening to new, different music need to know? Oh, never mind)…
The opener iTAL tEK’s Archaic is great; dark concentrated slabs of electronica and monolithic beats create a noise akin to a milk production factory working on without human assistance. Unitz’ The Drop is excitingly deranged; plinky plonky, mashed-up blurps and beats create a kind of ill marching music for white Duracell bunnies. Elsewhere the Cult of the 13th Hour’s brilliant Way of the Gun is a disturbing and very effective précis of gun crime (fuck I sounded like a Geography teacher then…) and things later descend into a very enjoyable skank for Headhunter and Ekelon’s Timewarp and are elevated to beautiful noise with Ben Frost’s Theory of Machines.
Mary Ann Hobbs has paced this collection beautifully; simply put Evangeline never outstays its welcome. Maybe the inherent abstraction in lots of techno and electronica allow enough space for the more sonic assaults of tracks like Wiley’s Local Lad.
It’s a great compilation, of course the odd thing grates, but it’s certainly worth getting, if only for the magnificent Right Road to Dubland by Surgeon.
Words: Richard Foster